Inter defeated Salernitana 2-0 in the Serie A Sunday lunchtime match to earn their second consecutive victory at home. While Nicoló Barella scored the second goal of the day, the Nerazzurri benefited from Lautaro Martinez’s first goal in five matches in the Italian top division.
Inter entered the match looking to build on their thrilling Champions League performance at the Camp Nou during the previous week. Still without Marcelo Brozovic and Romelu Lukaku, Simone Inzaghi used his tried-and-true 3-5-2 formation, pairing Edin Dzeko and Martinez up front.
Inzaghi once more placed his trust in André Onana in goal, who by this point appears to have surpassed the seasoned Samir Handanovic in the hierarchy.
The Granata’s five-game losing streak was broken by Krysztof Piatek and Boulaye Dia’s goals last week, according to Salernitana’s Davide Nicola, who also suggested a specular module and the two players once more up front. Antonio Candreva confronted his Nerazzurri past at right wing back.
Lautaro’s scoring drought was Inter’s unspoken problem because Lukaku was still on the defensive. But after just 14 minutes of play today, the Argentine managed to end the curse when he unleashed a sneaky shot from outside the box that deflected past Luigi Sepe and broke the tie.
The Salernitana goalkeeper may have had a better opportunity, but Lautaro didn’t waste any time seizing the opportunity to score his first Serie A goal in 47 days.
Today, Simone Inzaghi’s team exuded confidence. As they maintained control of the operations in the first half, their back-to-back domestic losses during the previous international break appeared to be far behind them.
The Nerazzurri coach must have been especially pleased to see his reliable defender Milan Skriniar not only excel at defence but also develop into a potent offensive weapon, as was the case on minute 37 when his header off a Federico Dimarco cross drew an incredible save from Sepe.
The entire Salernitana response was centred on a shot by Grigoris Kastanos that found the side netting. Piatek then forced Onana into action with a deft drive that the Cameroonian found challenging to stop.
Despite Skriniar’s efforts to recover the ball in midfield and Denzel Dumfries’ cutting pass from the right side, Lautaro missed a clear-cut opportunity to give Inter their second goal before halftime.
Right after the restart, Martinez made an attempt to atone for the mistake, but his twisted header went over the bar. Salernitana replied through Dia, who once more prompted Onana to take action.
As the second half appeared to be getting exciting, Barella’s second goal of the game on minute 58 made things much simpler for Inter and effectively sealed the victory for the home team.
The Nerazzurri’s final goal of the day was a great example of their fresh outlook. Hakan Calhanoglu was able to recover the ball along the midfield line as a result of their high-pressure pressing, which led to an amazing one-touch fast break. Finally, Barella received the ball, adjusted it with his right foot, and then fired it past Sepe with his left foot.
With some substitutions, Salernitana’s coach Nicola attempted to give his team new life. The Granata displayed some signs of life when Federico Bonazzoli’s close-range header was off-target and Flavius Daniliuc challenged Onana with a sharp free kick.
However, there were no additional emotions or changes to the final score as Inter secured their second consecutive victory and temporarily moved up to seventh place in the Serie A standings while they awaited the outcome of today’s match between top-ranked Napoli and Bologna.
Inter were rewarded for a strong performance today by adding three more points to their Serie A tally, ultimately cruising to victory. Following up on their success in the Champions League, the Nemours took the lead through a goal from Martinez in the first half, and just before the hour mark, Barella’s deft finish effectively put an end to the game. Even though there were a few fleshes on the counter, Salemitana never seemed to believe they could surprise San Siro, so they head back south empty-handed.
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